


J is for Jacksonville

by Rose_of_Pollux



Series: Around the World in 26 Days [10]
Category: The Man From U.N.C.L.E. (TV)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-16
Updated: 2017-06-16
Packaged: 2018-11-14 22:24:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 593
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11217477
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rose_of_Pollux/pseuds/Rose_of_Pollux
Summary: In which Napoleon and Illya’s retreat from THRUSH is covered by a most unexpected ally.





	J is for Jacksonville

Napoleon wished that he and Illya could have found a better place to run than a golf course—there just wasn’t enough cover here, and the THRUSHie following them was being very persistent.

He and Illya had arrived in Jacksonville to meet with an informant, but it had turned out to be a trap by some overzealous young THRUSHies; they had attempted to take the two partners prisoner, and though, through the element of surprise, they had divested Napoleon and Illya of their weapons, the duo had managed to escape.

Convinced that, unarmed and running, the two U.N.C.L.E. agents posed no threat, the young THRUSHies elected their fastest member to retrieve their escaped prisoners. Napoleon wasn’t going to question how or why their captors were evidently so overconfident; with nothing in the way of a shelter to help mask their retreat, he and Illya were willing to take whatever advantage they could get.

The golf course had been closed for weeks due to flooding from a tropical storm, so there were no innocents to worry about, but Napoleon soon found other hazards as he tripped over a large mound of leaves, twigs, and mud and fell flat on his face beside one of the ponds.

“Napoleon!” Illya exclaimed, helping him to his feet. The Russian glanced behind them, checking to see if the THRUSHie was closing in. He was, and Illya then turned his attention to the mound that had tripped his partner.

“Come on,” Napoleon said. “We have to keep moving until we can find somewhere where we can conceal ourselves and get the drop on him—take his weapon away.”

“Perhaps not,” Illya said. “There’s an abandoned golf cart over there, Napoleon—go behind it.”

“What--?”

“I have an idea!” Illya said, and he grabbed a stick from the pile and began to disturb the surface of the water with it.

Napoleon stared at him for a moment, and then stared at the approaching THRUSHie.

“Illya, we’re running out of time!” he exclaimed, and he dragged him towards the small golf cart, hoping that it would start and give them a small boost of speed.

But Illya was more focused on the water; as Napoleon pulled him away, he threw the stick into the pond and then turned his attention to the THRUSHie, who, like Napoleon, tripped over the mound by the water.

But as the THRUSHie got to his knees after the fall, a large shape lunged from the water at him; the THRUSHie screamed, backing away just in time to avoid the jaws of an alligator. The THRUSH weapon slipped from his hand, and Illya and Napoleon watched as the THRUSHie didn’t even notice, but continued to scramble away, heading back the way he had come.

“…How did you know there was a gator in the water?” Napoleon asked.

“You both tripped over her nest, Napoleon,” Illya said, indicating the mound. Sure enough, the alligator clambered on top of the mound and stood guard, her mouth open. “The mother is never far away—nor will she stand for anyone approaching her nest.”

“Ah. I wonder if she’ll let us collect that gun so that we’ll have some sort of weapon…” Napoleon trailed off as the alligator hissed at him as he approached. “…Actually, on second thoughts, never mind.”

“ _Da_ , let’s leave this lady as she is and seize our chance to escape.”

The duo did just that, idly wondering whether anyone would believe their tale of how an expectant mother alligator helped cover their retreat.


End file.
